


Let Me Be Strong

by Blake_Belladonna_Defence_Force



Series: Bumbleby Oneshots [53]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, RWBY vol 8 spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-17 14:02:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29718294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blake_Belladonna_Defence_Force/pseuds/Blake_Belladonna_Defence_Force
Summary: Late at night, on their mission to escort the survivors of Atlas’s fall to Mistral, Blake wakes up to find her partner struggling with the memory of her time in Salem’s whale.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long
Series: Bumbleby Oneshots [53]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1926181
Comments: 2
Kudos: 190





	Let Me Be Strong

Blake slowly opens her eyes and looks around the small room of the inn that their group had managed to find on the way to escorting the survivors of Atlas and Mantle to Mistral. She blinks in tired confusion, her left ear twitching lightly when a soft whimper meets her ears.

“No…”

Blake turns to her right and frowns at the sight of Yang twitching in her sleep, her body growing tight with tension as her breathing becomes harsher, more desperate and fearful. A low, pained moan leaves Yang’s throat and she begins to tremble, her hands curling into the blanket as she begins to thrash in her sleep. 

“Don’t- don’t touch them-“

Blake rolls over onto her side and places her fingertips against Yang’s bicep, gently brushing her fingers along the tense muscle in hopes of stirring her gently from sleep. “Yang? Hey… shhhh… it’s okay. It’s just a nightmare. You’re okay.” Blake murmurs, her ears pressing flat against her head as her heart twists painfully at the clear distress on her partner’s face. “Come on… wake up for me, Yang. Come back.” She says quietly, reaching out to brush Yang’s bangs back from her forehead. She frowns at the slick damp of Yang’s sweat and bites her lip when Yang whimpers in her sleep again.

“Don’t-“

Yang’s eyes snap open and she sits up with a loud gasp, her chest heaving as tears fall down her face. Her face is pale and her body is trembling, fear coiling her body tight. When Blake shifts to sit up, Yang’s eyes snap to her and Blake feels her heart break at the pain and terror in Yang’s eyes. Without skipping a beat, Blake reaches out to slowly, predictably, brush Yang’s hair behind her ear, watching sadly as Yang lets out a soft, surprised gasp before melting into her touch with a quiet sob. She clings to Blake’s forearm, her grip firm and yet as gentle as it ever was. It’s a request, a plea, to stay, to comfort, to  _ hold _ and Blake knows that she could never refuse it.

“Hey… c’mere.” She murmurs as she moves her hand to curl her arm around Yang’s waist. With a soft grunt of effort, she pulls Yang into her lap, situating her side saddle as she leans back against the headboard and tucks Yang’s head beneath her chin. She wraps her arms tightly around Yang, pulling her close and cupping her hand tenderly in one hand when Yang chokes back another sob. “It’s okay, Yang. It’s just me.” She says quietly into her partner’s tangled hair, even as tears enter her own eyes at the strangled noises of distress fighting to leave Yang’s chest. “You can let go. I’ve got you. Okay? I’m right here. You can break and I won’t let go of you, sweetheart.”

Yang’s hands curl into Blake’s shirt tightly as she turns to bury her face in Blake’s chest with a broken cry. Her tears hit Blake’s shirt and she clings to her tightly as breaks down in her arms. Blake soothes her, murmuring soft reassurances into her ear as she rocks them both back and forth, even as her own eyes burn with the threat of tears. She grits her teeth when Yang’s voice hitches painfully and she holds her just a little bit tighter when Yang presses her face into her neck. But eventually, Yang’s cries settle and Blake feels her partner slump against her weakly, energy completely spent on her tears.

“Yang?”

“Sorry.”

“Hey now… how many times have you held me after a nightmare?” Blake says softly as she gently pushes Yang away. She offers her partner a shaky smile and reaches up to cup her face, her thumbs gently brushing away Yang’s tears as Yang watches her through a pained, tired gaze. “You wanna talk about it?”

“It was about Salem.” Yang says, her voice ragged and raspy from her sobs. She sniffs, turning to nuzzle her cheek firmly into Blake’s palm with a shuddering breath that makes Blake’s chest hurt. “I- seeing what she was… how she just kept coming back and reforming… what she was capable of… I can’t get it out of my head. I- I was  _ so  _ scared, Blake. We all were and just- I keep having these nightmares about her taking everyone else from me, just like Summer. Ruby… Weiss…  _ you—“ _

Yang’s voice breaks and Blake leans forward, pressing their foreheads together as Yang’s breathing hitches painfully. Their noses brush and she feels Yang’s breath shudder across her mouth as she holds her jaw tenderly in her hand. “I know it hurts. But we’re okay right now. Ruby and Weiss are just down the hall and I’m right here. I’m  _ right here  _ and I’m not going to go down easy. I’ll fight tooth and nail to keep coming back to you, okay?” She whispers gently into the space between them, keeping her eyes on Yang’s and letting her see past her walls. She swallows hard when Yang’s hand finds its way to her chest, resting just above her heart, and she feels her pulse jump as she realises that Yang’s seeking out her heartbeat. “Let me hold you for tonight, Yang. Let  _ me  _ be strong for  _ you.” _

Yang swallows and nods, her eyes squeezing shut as Blake slowly lays down on her back and gently tugs at Yang’s arms. Hesitantly, Yang lets Blake’s guide her to lay on top of her, sinking into her hold and looking down at her anxiously. Blake smiles softly up at her and leans upwards to press a kiss to Yang’s forehead, lingering as Yang’s hands curl into the fabric of her shirt. When she pulls back, Yang settles her head on Blake’s chest, right above her heart, and Blake feels her throat tighten at the gesture. She cradles Yang against her body, gently running her hand up and down Yang’s spine soothingly as her partner slowly drifts off to sleep once more.

Soon, Blake would join her in sleep. But for now… she stays awake, rubbing her back and murmuring soft nothings into her ear in hopes of chasing off demons, just as Yang so often did for her.


End file.
